


Safe Together

by OneMoreDaytoBeWicked



Category: Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Kisses, M/M, Nightmares, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Sleepy Cuddles, affectionate nicknames, steve does art
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-12 05:16:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10482921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneMoreDaytoBeWicked/pseuds/OneMoreDaytoBeWicked
Summary: 'As he leaned against the doorframe, he managed to see the outline of Bucky’s form sitting up in bed. His breathing uneven and every so often there was a soft hiccuping sound. Was he crying?'* * *Bucky has a nightmare. Meanwhile Steve can't sleep.





	

Steve couldn’t fall asleep. He spent what felt like hours tossing and turning next to his sleeping boyfriend. Eventually, he slipped out of bed, pressing a kiss to the sleeping brunette’s forehead before he stood up. Wandering into the living room Steve grabbed a sketch pad that lay abandoned on the coffee table and kicked his feet up on the table. Reaching over he turned on a lamp beside the couch. He didn’t want to wake Bucky by turning on the lamp in their room and he couldn’t see his sketchpad as well in the dark room, even with the light of the moon and stars outside.

The apartment was still. Only faint building noises of creaky floorboards and the heat kicking on could be heard. It wasn’t like their apartment from the forties but it was nice. They didn’t need anything over the top when it was just the two of them. All Steve needed was Bucky for it to feel like home. It didn’t matter whether it was 2017 or 1944, with Bucky he was as happy as he could be. Maybe that’s why the years before he discovered Bucky was alive, he felt so restless-- so empty.

Concentrating hard on the sketchbook, his hand moved in a skilled manner. He liked to draw things he’d seen around or had caught his eye. A couple of days ago, Steve had been on a run in the early morning when he’d stumbled across a patch of flowers beginning to bloom. Steve stopped and snapped a quick picture and resumed his run. Later that day, he sat in the chair closest to the window, sketchpad in hand and his phone on his lap. The only difficulty about trying to draw the flower based off the picture on his phone was having to tap every so often to keep his phone on.

Disrupted from his thoughts, he heard a voice coming from the bedroom. In the quiet apartment even the softest noise could be heard from the living room. Steve looked towards their shared room, unable to see into the darkness from where he sat.

“Steve?” Bucky said, though by how rough his voice sounded he may as well have croaked it.

“In the living room, sweetie,” he said, putting the pencil and sketchbook aside. He stood from the couch not bothering with the light. As he leaned against the doorframe, he managed to see the outline of Bucky’s form sitting up in bed. His breathing uneven and every so often there was a soft hiccuping sound. Was he crying?

“Hey, Bucky are you alright,” he asked approaching the bed. Joining his boyfriend on the bed, instinctively he wrapped an arm around him. Close to him like this he could see the sweat on his forehead and how shaken up he looked. 

Bucky remained silent and just pulled Steve into a hug, crying silently against him, his body shaking from the tears that he shed.

It dawned on Steve that Bucky must have had another nightmare. He rubbed Bucky’s back over the soft material of the t-shirt his boyfriend was wearing. At some point he recalled it being his, but seeing as Bucky was getting more use out of it than he ever had, he didn’t miss it. “It’s all right, Buck,” he mumbled to him, pressing a kiss to his head. “Was it another nightmare?”

Bucky nodded, his chin brushing Steve’s chest as he pressed himself against him. Steve closed his eyes and held him tighter, and remembered what it was like being haunted by the past. He knew the nightmares that would come after him were far less traumatic than the ones his boyfriend was experiencing, but still, he knew what it felt like. Especially when it ended with him waking up alone. 

The more progress Steve made, the fewer nightmares he had. Yet he could still remember the dreams that he’d had. They were never all the same but they all were from before he was defrosted. Some nights he couldn’t even see much in the dream he just felt the the coldness of the water when the plane crashed. It feels like he’s drowning all over again. Then it all just would stop and Steve would wake up gasping for breath and shaking. Another reoccurring dream had been when Bucky fell from the train. In the dream he’d always be so close to grabbing hold of Bucky’s hand. So close to pulling him to safety. Then Bucky would slip and he fall and Steve would wake startled and crying.

Pulling himself from his own thoughts he reminded himself Bucky needed him, he couldn’t get lost in his head at a time like this. “Everything’s going to be alright. We’re safe. Nothing’s gonna hurt you,” he told him. They pulled apart some and Steve looked at him in the dim light. He offered his boyfriend a faint smile trying to silently reassure him that nothing bad would happen. 

At this point Bucky began to calm down no longer crying and he began to relax into his boyfriend’s touch. 

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Steve asked, brushing his thumb gently over Bucky’s cheek.

Bucky looked hesitant as if he might just open up about what it had been this time then he shook his head. Steve was about to press on the subject again knowing that it helped talking about it. 

Then Bucky spoke, “Not right now. In the morning.” 

Steve could work with that. It was a start. In the morning he’d urge his boyfriend to call up his therapist and talk with her about it too, but he’d leave that as well for morning. “Let’s try getting some sleep then.” Steve took hold of his hands pressing kisses to the backs of each one, starting with the metal hand.

The pair both separated and got underneath the covers. Steve opened his arms and Bucky moved closer over to him an arm securing over his middle and his head resting on Steve’s chest. Steve closed his eyes ready to fall asleep when he heard Bucky speak up.

“Thanks, Stevie.”

Opening his eyes Steve smiled up at the ceiling. “Anytime Buck. Good night.” Glancing towards the doorway Steve could see the glow of the light in the living room he left on but there was no way he’d separate himself from Bucky to go and turn it off. Not when they were so comfortable here.

* * *

The chirping of a pesky bird outside their window woke Steve up. Removing his arm from over his eyes,Steve squinted in the direction of the morning light. Bucky frowned, clearly waking as well. He kept his eyes closed and tried to turn away from the light. Steve grinned at the sight of that. “Morning,” he said softly..

Bucky mumbled something about it being too early. Moving his head off Steve’s chest the blond turned to face him. Steve’s gaze remained on Bucky, smiling at him for a moment. This is what he loved about the future. Sure things had improved and everything was more high-tech, but none of that compared to being able wake up every morning to this. 

“Whatcha starin’ at Rogers? I got something on my face?” Bucky asked with a grin.

Steve’s cheeks flushed but the smile remained. “Nope. Can’t I just admire my best guy?” he asked with a raise of a brow.

Bucky pretended to contemplate on what he said. “Hmmm....” His grin returned as he said, “I’ll consider it if you make us some breakfast.”

“Deal. While I do that maybe think about calling up Dr.Grant and find out when your next session is so you can talk out about that nightmare,” he said, his voice full of hope. 

Bucky sighed before agreeing. “Deal.” 

Moving towards him he sleepily cuddled him. If he could Steve would stay here all day. He knew eventually they’d both have to get up and start their day but for now they could relax together. Running his fingers through Bucky’s hair, as much as he liked Bucky’s hair from the forties, Steve had really grown to like this longer style of hair on Bucky. 

After a couple moments of silence as he continued to thread his fingers through his hair Bucky spoke up, “If you keep up that I’m gonna fall right back asleep.” 

“Alright, alright I’ll get up,” Steve said after laughing softly. Steve stole a sweet kiss before sitting up and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. His bare feet touching the cold floor he left the bedroom. Stopping by the living room he flicked off the abandoned lamp and closed the sketchbook that had been left open. Humming as he left the living room he entered the kitchen, he flipped on the coffee machine, on he lit a burner on the stove and opened the fridge to grab the eggs. Steve could hear Bucky on the phone with Dr.Grant. Even with the rough start last night he could tell today was going to be good. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading hope you enjoyed! 
> 
>  
> 
> I have a [Tumblr](http://bjorn--ironside.tumblr.com/) come say hello!


End file.
